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Video of the Day

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Nice cover, huh? I know I like it, and the story is just as steamy as the cover! But it isn't the steaminess that impressed me with this story, but it was the depth to which the reader can feel the emotions of Cara, the main character.

From the get go, you can feel the malice, anger and hate of the character dripping from the words like venom. It’s as if you’re in the character’s mind and can feel her pain. With a story that’s only 97 pages long, this is extremely important.

Tierney does a very good job laying it all out as the main character runs through the thoughts in her mind as she skis down the hill - a simple, but very effective way to develop the character of Cara efficiently as well as set the scene.

The reader is drawn in from the beginning. “Oh yeah. Eat my snow dust!” are the first words you read and they happen to be the main character’s thoughts. So, right away, you wonder what Cara’s doing in the snow. Until you’re told she’s skiing, she could be riding a snowmobile, sledding, or racing in a toboggan, or even in a luge! All kinds of fun snow play to consider! But it catches your attention.

What keeps you reading is the exploration into her anger about her friend’s brother getting together with his ex. Why is she so angry? What happened? What did he do to make her so angry?

The scene is brilliantly set through Cara’s angry, jealous thoughts.

The thoughts and reactions of Cara to her situation feel very real and make a lot of sense, so it’s easy for the reader to relate and care for Cara and want to see something good happen for her. The question is, what is that good thing?

Will she win the race against her friend or will she, in her distracted angry train of thought, make a mistake and injure herself? Or does she do both? Either way, will she catch the eye of Lucas or some other admirer?

My only two criticisms:

1. While Tierney must subscribe to the original purpose of the Vagina Monologues, to take back certain descriptive words for the female anatomy, I find that I still prefer the softer words to the harder, more in your face ones. Call me old fashioned, but I still think they are more effective when conveying a love scene. However, the author has used the harder ones well enough to evoke some hot reactions, which is, after all, the point for a steamy scene, right?

I have to give her credit in that she doesn't overuse the hard anatomical terms, which is why I could say I found them acceptable here. Plus the story itself was very strong and could stand on it's own if the sex was removed. It wouldn't be as steamy of course, but the story and characters are very strong indeed.

2. The first sex scene is steamier than the second. What I mean is that, as Cara is shushing down the slopes on her skis, she remembers that first night in all it's glory, every hot, juicy detail. Very well done. The second scene, however, feels rushed to it's "conclusion." Even though the reader is left with the implication that the sex will continue, it doesn't feel quite as steamy as that first scene. I guess, since the title is Wicked Night Before Christmas, that there would be a little more to that second scene, that it would take a bit longer and that there would have been some other wickedness going on between the two lovers.

Now, please don't take these criticisms as a knock against the book or the author. Take it as a compliment because it means she set her bar rather high with that first sex scene and that it was going to take a lot for the second one to "top" it. The fact that I wanted more is also a testament to the author.

Before we get to the interview, Tierney wanted to let all of you know about her contest she has going for the month of December:

Buy a copy of Wicked Night Before Christmas and your name could be entered into a drawing to win a copy of her acclaimed novel, My Pleasure!!!
She has 10 copies, which means 10 winners!
All you need to do is email Tierney with proof of purchase to have your name entered into a drawing!
See her website www.tierneyomalley.com or contact Tierney for more details!

Be sure to hang around because after the interview, to read an excerpt of her story!

ME: Do you have a movie that you must watch every Christmas? What's your favorite Christmas movie? Do you have a favorite Christmas character or character type?

TIERNEY: I can’t say that it’s a must watch. But I love watching The Polar Express. There is something about it that never fail to takes me back in time when I was a kid, always excited about Christmas and believing that Santa Claus would stuff candies in my school knee-high socks. The movie is about believing. At my age, I still believe in the magic of Christmas.

ME: Do you have any Christmas traditions like decorating your house, having house parties, making cookies etc.?

TIERNEY: Hunting for the freshest, greenest, and the best Christmas tree is a part of our tradition. We do that at the Home Depot. LOL. That’s where we get our tree. One time, my husband and I thought we brought home a perfect one. As it turned out, the trunk was bowed. So we called it a hunchback tree.

The girls would always help decorate the tree. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a good amount of mementos—school hand print projects, little frames, ornaments from families, etc. So, our tree isn’t the kind that you see at Macy’s Department stores or malls. LOL. Baking shortbread cookies is always a fun activity for us. Our Chef (my twelve year old) is a budding baker. I’m looking forward to tasting her shortbread this year. We leave a couple for Santa and a glass of milk.

ME: If you do make Christmas Cookies, what kinds will you be making this year? What was your all-time most favorite Christmas Cookie that you ever made? Why? Care to share the recipe?

TIERNEY: Always shortbread cookies. I think one time we made a Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookie kind. Didn’t sell. J Making shortbread cookies is a messy job, but the shaping and the reshaping of that crusty dough and the pressing of the cookie cutter—fun!

ME: Do you celebrate St. Nick’s Day? Why or why not? On what day do you celebrate it, on December 6 or some other date? Are the stockings a big deal? What is the biggest present you’ve received/given for St. Nick’s Day?

TIERNEY: What’s St. Nick’s Day? LOL. I guess that answers your next question. Stockings are a big deal in my house. We have one for everybody including our cat that died years ago and our dog, Cinnamon Christmas O’Malley, who is turning seven this year.

ME: Even if you don’t put one up, do you prefer real or artificial trees? Why?

TIERNEY: Oh god, a real tree is the best. The scent of fresh pine needles. Hmmm…just wonderful. I think we still have old pine needles stuck beneath the rug from years ago. LOL.

ME: Have you ever made your own Christmas presents or decorations? If so, what were they? Were they successes or failures? Did you have fun while making them?

TIERNEY: I can write, but that’s about it. My talents are really limited. So no, I never made my own presents. Man, life is too short to sit and sew or knit. LOL We each have our own talent. Some people are good in carving. I am good in writing.

ME: What foods will be at your Christmas celebration this year? What is the most unusual food that you saw at a Christmas feast? Would you eat the fruitcake or use it as a doorstop?

TIERNEY: Gobble, gobble. Poor turkey will be present, of course. Honey Baked ham, baked yam with marshmallows on top, Pecan pie. Fruitcake can stay out in the yard and freeze. I don’t like it. J

ME: Do you celebrate Christmas on the Eve or Day? Why?

TIERNEY: Christmas day. As soon as the girls get up, the celebration begins. Why not, eve? Don’t know. Is that some kind of Christian thing? Wow, my question sounds so…dumb.

ME: Who, if anyone, in your family plays Santa Claus to hand out the presents? Or do they just “magically” appear under the tree? How do you handle presents that just don’t fit under the tree?

TIERNEY: My husband would always wear his Santa hat. One of the girls (who ever wins) would be the helper to reach for a present from under the tree. Presents that are too big sit beside the tree. J Big or small, I always hide my special present for my husband way behind the tree so it would be the last one to be opened. Kind of romantic that way, don’t you think?

ME: Tell us 3 funny or strange things that happened to you, or someone you know, on past Christmases.

TIERNEY: a) “Santa” came and scattered chocolate candies in the hallway and in the living room. We heard him. ;) But when we went to check on the candies. They were all gone. The next day, our dog, Cinnamon became ill.

b)Husband and I came home super happy that we found the perfect tree. As it happened, it was too tall ( 7 feet) and the tip scraped the ceiling. We were so tired that day so we didn’t even bother cutting the tip. But when I put the angel on top her head ended up sideways. We let her be.

c)Maybe not funny, but while husband was reading the label on a Christmas present, the tree fell and landed on him.

ME: Do you send out greeting cards to your friends and family? Why or why not? What greeting do you like to see on the greeting cards you send? On the ones you receive?

TIERNEY: Yes, I like sending out Christmas cards. It’s a once year thing. As much as possible I like to insert a short summary of the events that happened the whole year with the O’Malley family. I am an author who likes to read comments from my editors so when it comes to receiving cards, I like to read something about the sender or anything other than their signature.

ME: Other than money (because who doesn’t want more of that), what would your ultimate gift be?

TIERNEY: T- A proof or receipt from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise that you bought my book. J Or to see the word “Bestseller” beside the title of my book. That’s the first goal I really want to achieve this year. The first is to lose weight. J

Now, let’s get to your writing:

ME: Why the Contemporary Romance genre? What was the draw for you?

TIERNEY: Contemporary because it requires less research. LOL Okay, I am comfortable writing contemp. This is where my intelligence lies (I think), what I think I am good at, what makes my heart pump so fast, to the point where I have to shake my hands to loosen up. I love writing contemp because I could be in it. It is a world within the real world.

You know, I don’t like watching the show, Jeopardy. Why? Because it makes me feel stupid. But I love, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? Why? Because I know I have a chance of moving up. contemp because I can easily create a world I am familiar with. Playing Jeopardy would be attempting to write historical. Not my thing. I’ll leave historical to the experts.

ME: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

TIERNEY: Stories of substantial erotic romance.

I would like my readers to experience a feeling of satisfaction, make them feel that it spending time reading my book was worth their time.

ME: With the current movement to encourage people to give books as gifts, what, in your opinion, makes your story unique?

TIERNEY: Perhaps my books are not unique, but since all of them are in ebook form, that’s what makes them unique.

ME: Do you prefer throwing snowballs or serving hot cocoa? Does that show through in your writing? If so, how?

TIERNEY: Snowball throwing. In my first Christmas story, Three Christmas Kisses, there was this scene where the hero and heroine walking in the woods and were ambushed by little kids. Snowballs went flying on both sides, the hero couldn’t even retaliate. I had fun writing that scene.

ME: Who decides what your characters do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one stuffing the stocking?

TIERNEY: Before I start writing, I pretty much have the basic facts about my characters. As I go along, sometimes I would tweak that fact or keep it. It depends on where the story is going or if I think to add some sort of quirkiness on the characters attitude that would make him more appealing, I would do that. I am the writer, the decider. My muse could goad me to keep on going until early in the morning. But what to write is my decision. That’s the beauty of being a writer.

ME: What character did you have the most fun creating and why?

TIERNEY: Come on. This is a hard question. LOL I had fun creating all of my characters. They all come alive because I enjoyed creating them. Okay, I think that’s a safe answer.

ME: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?

TIERNEY: Wolf. Why? Good god, just look at the Wicked Proposal cover. Even my twelve year old said she wants to meet him.

ME: If you could be any Christmas Character, who would it be and why?

TIERNEY: I want to be Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Rudolf, the ninth and lead reindeer possesses an unusually red-colored nose that gives off its own light. The light is powerful enough to illuminate Santa’s team's path around the world no matter the weather condition. I want to have that power. Perhaps, with my stories about love, life, and romance, I could share that power. To make the readers feel good, feel light-hearted, loved, and happy.

Lucas McLeod fell in love with his sister’s best friend who enjoys bantering with him. He is fighting the urge, the temptation to cross the fine line between friendship and lovers. But Lucas lost. When he succumbs to passion and makes love with her, he knows she is the one he wants to grow old with. Before he leaves for Florida, he gives her his promise. He will be back.

She tried to ignore him…

Cara Saint Regis is devastated when Lucas, her best friend’s brother and the man she believes will come back for her, arrives in the cabin with his high school sweetheart instead. Worse, she catches them French kissing. A few days before Christmas, Cara’s heartache turns into a blinding jealousy and anger—but deep inside her heart, her love and desire remains strong and true.

Will love, passion, and the spirit of holidays help them reunite in time to celebrate Christmas?

Being around Cara is a test. Her nearness inflames his desire. Their closeness reminds him of what he’s been missing—her touch, smile, and her kisses. He misses her. Lucas wonders if his burning need to be with her again can wait until Christmas eve to answer the wish she wrote on the paper and hung on the Christmas tree—a wicked night before Christmas.

If this isn't enough to feed your appetite, and you'd like more Tierney, check outThree Christmas Kisses,
if you haven't read it already!

Hi Carrie & Tierney :)Thank you for the thoughtful review and for bringing Tierney O'Malley to my attention. Thank you to Tierney O'Malley for sharing here today. I enjoyed learning about her and her writing. Tierney O'Malley is on my ToRead list now.Is Tierney O'Malley on Twitter?All the best,RKCharronxoxo

Tierney, I could barely scroll past the cover for this book to get to your interview. It is such a beautiful cover and so HOT!

Sorry I was late in getting here. It was a pleasure getting to know you a little more and having you with us. Hope you return when your next book is published.

BTW, I'm soooooo glad I'm not the only person that has a stocking for their animals. :D Both my cat and dog share a spot on the mantle next to our stockings, both of which have their names on them. LOL